Bengal batter Manoj Tiwary has raised a question to the legendary MS Dhoni after retiring from cricket. Tiwary, who served Bengal for 19 years, hung his boots after leading his state team in its final league stage match in the ongoing Ranji Trophy against Bihar. He bids adieu to the sport after being one of the most prolific run-getters for Bengal in the Ranji Trophy.
Tiwary, who has played 12 ODIs and three T20Is for India, has questioned Dhoni over why he was dropped from the team. "I would like to ask Dhoni why I was dropped from the playing XI in 2011 after scoring a century? I had the potential to be a hero just like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli but could not be. Today, when I see many people getting more opportunities on TV, I feel sad," Tiwary said on the sidelines of his felicitation at the Calcutta Sports Journalists’ Club.
He expressed concerns over the IPL-centric approach taking precedence for the players. "I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset,” Tiwary said, referring to centrally contracted players opting out of playing domestic cricket. Those who don’t play IPL often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. Now, expressing any opinion might lead to a ban. I have already been penalised with a 20 per cent reduction in my match fee for just one post," he said.
Tiwary had recently said that the Ranji Trophy should be scrapped but did not elaborate on the reason behind it. He was fined 20 per cent of his match fees for that remark. BCCI recently issued a statement to the centrally contracted players to feature in the Ranji Trophy. "In hindsight, I feel that the directive issued by the BCCI might not have been given had I not posted it on X. Perhaps my post prompted the BCCI secretary to put the players under pressure now.
"The seriousness they have shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players, especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket, are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy," Tiwary added.
He also alleged that the BCCI is run by politicians now and not sportspersons. "I could have spoken up earlier, but it seems that the BCCI is no longer governed by sportspersons; it’s now run by politicians. I am associated with a political party, but I am also a sportsperson. I don’t want to engage in a fight; I simply want the Ranji Trophy to be prioritised, as it is slowly losing its importance," he added.
